FIGHTING FOOD WASTE
Food waste is a world-wide issue that needs attention. Statistics show that the world wastes over 1.3 billion tons of food per year. In the United States our grocery stores dump about 3.5 million tons of food a year (mostly dairy products and produce). Some grocery chains are trying to do better by donating to nonprofits, food banks, and other initiatives. However, consumers are wasting 80 million pounds of food each year. That averages out to more than 200 pounds per person per year! Besides the moral black mark, most of the wasted food goes to the landfill where it emits green-house gasses that add to the problem of global warming. So, what can we personally do to help solve the problem?
Planned reduction---Make a weekly meal plan first, then make a grocery list. Be sure and include snacks and ingredients to help create delicious leftovers. Shop when full and resist impulse buying.
Evaluate your old refrigerator--Is your refrigerator 15-20 years old? It may be time to shop for a more efficient one. Check the energy-star rating. Keep shelves full, refrain from holding the door open longer than necessary. Clean the coils annually.
Storage tips---arrange your refrigerator to clearly see “use first foods”, keep condiments in the same place, store apples, tomatoes, melons and avocados separately from broccoli, asparagus, carrots and lettuce. (First group produces gas that speeds up ripening), label all leftovers (put in one section) with date and contents--use blue painter’s tape. Be sure and store food as soon as you return from the grocery store.
Embrace “ugly” produce and understand food labels-- So called ugly produce is just as good as the perfect item. The label “best used by ''--speaks only to the peak quality of the product. More times than not, the product is ok to still eat.
Take advantage of sales and seasonal buys--Consider buying a small chest freezer to hold sale items and items like homemade applesauce or your garden produce or local farmers market items. Be sure and add labels. Consult canning and freezing do-it-yourself books.
Get creative with leftovers--Make sure to have on hand garlic, onions, celery and canned tomatoes and condiments to make creative “second chance” creations. Don’t forget soups. A richer soup can be combining a canned tomato soup with leftover veggies or using leftovers to add to a soup. Leftovers can be frozen after each meal and at the end of a week combined with other ingredients and broth to make a delicious soup. Add cornbread and a salad and you have a nice meal.
Compost what we can’t save--If we have reduced our impulse buying and made our lists fit our needs, stored food properly, used leftovers, shared food with others and found a way to give peelings scraps to chickens (ours or a friends), then we can compost the rest. If we can do all of the above we can get to zero food waste.
EARTH STEWARD ACTION: This week challenge yourself to create delicious second chances for leftovers from meals
SOURCES: Green America Magazine’s yearly guide, “Your Green Life, 2021” Information on the magazine is found by going to www.greenamerica.org Sierra Club Magazine, winter 2021. “waste Not” article by Paul Rauber. https://www.rts.com/resources/guides/food-aste-america , https://ussa.gov/food-waste/faqs